


From Exile

by GuardianOnTheThreshold (pseudomancer)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 13:34:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7575892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pseudomancer/pseuds/GuardianOnTheThreshold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Religions in Konoha are given certain exemptions and rights. Through a legal loophole, Naruto, as a young ward of the state, is allowed to make pilgrimage from his place of birth to the high mountains of Tendai - a reclusive range just north of Konoha. In order to keep him safe, Sarutobi has tasked his wayward student Jiraiya to oversee his passage up the mountain.</p><p>Both men know Naruto's decision to leave his home is seeded in something that bears investigation, but nobody seems to have any answers. Besides, it might just be good for the brat to see some sights. Little does Sarutobi know this decision will come to haunt them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From Exile

The 'Tendai Trails' are a misnomer. There's no trail; no clear way up the mountains. In the summer, there is persistent ice and fog. even in the bright sun the mists are thick and rife with danger. There are no guides to follow either. Each way is unique to the climber; paths covered in ice and snow ebb and flow to the flux of winds and sun. You just have to trust yourself, knowing when to stop or push on, when to take risks or to go the long route. 

There's no way Naruto could have gone this way on his lonesome. Already, he's loudly complaining feet are sore. He's just a stupid brat, causing a huge ruckus for Sensei. The old man has enough drama without kids throwing tantrums in the tower. It's a good thing he's had plans to come back this way for a while, otherwise he might've let the brat meet his end up here.

Naruto leads them. He's in the front, scrambling up the faces of rock, skidding up and down icy shelves to reach new heights. He's wound up in thick brown furs that make him look like a furry tanuki. The wind up here is intensely cold and brutally lashing, at times causing young Naruto to lose his balance. He's got a lot of spunk and acrobatics skill for an eleven year old, so far not falling to his death even once (don't worry, somebody would be around to catch him...maybe), but he's still a big baby; complaining about the little things - like that little snowstorm, or that above average avalanche; he'd acted like he'd never seen any yuki-onna either. Back in his day, any genin trainee would be well prepared to face these problems!

They just don't make them like they used to...

"Hey, old man, where to now?"

The kid's shut up about his aching feet for now, at least. He wears a petulant look on him as he stretches out his ankles. He's looking over the distance they've traveled today - vertically, there's quite a number of drops between now and then. Specks of snow could drift endlessly downward.

"Brat," there's that old breath again, the heaving of a battered chest, "Isn't it about time you admitted this is foolish? We should turn around."

"You turn around."

"Maybe I should just leave you up here."

"You wouldn't. Not when Old Man told you to show me the way."

"Kid, he was indulging your fantasizes because he felt sorry for you. Do you think he actually wants you to leave Konoha? Like this?"

Just the wind, after that. Kid's cold and stubborn. He faces the rocks and just starts climbing aimlessly upward.

There's a loud shout after a while, voice carrying great lengths, "Hey! That's not the right way. Get back down here!"

Naruto's quick, zipping like a spider back down to the outcropping. He's mad, but he at least hides it under a cold exterior this time. Good, he's tired of the pathetic whining.

He's breathing hard, dropping down beside him to catch his footing, "How would you know? You said you didn't know the way there."

"The exact way there is always changing, but I know for sure it's not that way."

The kid bristles, unsatisfied with that answer; but he's not entitled to anything better than that. 

They decide to set up camp in the cold. A pack is shrugged off shoulders and onto the ledge, pulling out bamboo, twine and thick cloth. He has Naruto do most of the work, considering he'll need the skills in the future. 

When they're finished, he decides to indulge his charge with a story of Tendai Monastery - their destination.

"You know, it's not a pretty place. To be entirely truthful. It's the most boring place on earth. Probably. Are you sure you still want to go?"

"Can't be worse than Konoha; but maybe I'll go somewhere else once I can't stay there either. For now, it should be good enough."

Couldn't be worse? You'd think whatever had happened to the kid, there'd be some kind of lasting impression of it. The mystery's almost worthy of having a Yamanaka look at it.

"You do know you're welcome back in Konoha, right? No matter what anyone may have said to you..."

"Yeah. I know," Naruto shifts inside the darkness of the tent, scooting closer to the dim glow of the molten oil lamp, "How do you know the Monastery is boring, anyway?"

"Weren't you listening before? I went there for training when I was young...er."

"Training?"

"Shinobi training, of course."

"Ah. Right."

"Up in the monastery, you won't find much. Maybe a few old monks. And I'm talking old kid, old - older than me and Sensei put together. They're codgy, stiff- Don't expect to get any special treatment-"

"When have I ever gotten any special treatment?"

"...you do realize who I am, right?"

"Yeah. You're some old pervert the old man dragged out of retirement to help me."

"Old? Pervert? Retirement? Kid. You watch your tongue. I'm [i]Jiraiya[/i]. You weren't kidding when you said-"

"We're almost there, aren't we? Why would I want to turn around now? You're not going to convince me to go back there," he rolls over, "So just stop talking."

"I'm just saying, running away isn't going to solve your problems. There's nothing to learn up in Tendai Monastery you can't find back home."

"But you said you went there for training."

"That I did," a sigh, "Special training. Not anything you need to concern yourself with. Nothing you'd be ready for."

"Why? Because I gave up?"

"...well, there is that. But even if you hadn't, you're a bit young for the sort of training I went through."

"It's like I said to Old Man, old man, I'm not looking for...whatever it is you think I'm looking for. I just...want to be gone. Maybe it's running away, but I'm okay with that. Wasn't I taught in class that running away is a sometimes the right thing to do?"

"Given what I've heard about your grades, I'd be surprised if you learned anything besides how to run away."

Naruto laughs. It's not the sort of laugh a kid should make. And from that I gather there's really no changing the idiot's mind.

I'm sorry Kushina. I made a mistake. But it's too late to fix it, now.

* * *

The peak of the mountain is capped in permanent frost, thick ribbed snow that is like sparkling concrete. Naruto walks lightly on what must be his aching legs - nervousness making his presence quiet and uneasy. They see their destination come into view through the mists. Tendai Monastery is in the face of a lone shadow - a large pillar of rock blocks out the sun. A few sagely trees dot the tiny perch.

The monastery itself is a building built from old, blackened wood. There's a large stone bell in the center of a small rock garden, with a path of pebbles leading to a simple four-room accommodations. A thatched roof slopes with a thin sheet of soot-polluted snow. Smoke plumes rise out from a dusty chimney.

For once, he moves ahead of Naruto, walking up to the front door.

"Come on, I'll introduce you."

Naruto comes, practically tiptoeing. He's afraid to make a sound or something, to disturb the tranquil peace up here.

The door opens with a loud creak, a single pair of feet stomping on old reed mats, "Hey geezers! You said I wouldn't be back to see you, but looks who's wrong again?!"

A cold silence is his only reply.

The first, main room, is a meditation chamber of sorts. It contains a rusty gong, an offering table, some statues of Buddha and small idols of minor nature kami. Seated before one of the Buddha statues in prayer is frosty skeleton. Another skeleton has its legs folded before the offering table.

"Great. You both died up here. I can only assume that means Teriyaki-chan flew the coop without letting anyone know.

Naruto quietly shuffles forward from behind, witnessing the scene with a detached expression. It's admittedly a bummer and not what anybody was expecting.

"Come on kid, help me out here, let's... bury them. Least we can do for these old fools."

"Ol-- Jiraiya, why are they..."

"It's what happens sometimes. People get forgotten up here."

"Oh."

There isn't much to say. They gather the bones and bury the two monks. A little more could be said than that, but they probably would prefer a silent burial anyway. It should be a good experience for Naruto, he's old enough to come to terms with the basics of death.

When that's finished, that leaves the unpleasant reality to be plainly stated, "Looks like we're turning-"

"I'm going to stay here."

Say what?


End file.
